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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Do Escitalopram And Alprazolam Cause Memory Loss?

my husband is 70. about 5 weeks ago, he began having sever anxiety and insomnia. Emotional crying, suicidal. No major problems, but several small inconveniences in our daily life, like a son needing financial help, our air conditioning system going out, farm machinery needing work. My husband has always been able to make decisions, but now he cannot make any without help from me. we went to an M.D. (could not get in to see his regular doctor because he is too busy), and she prescribed Escitalopram (20 mg) and Alprazolam 1.0 mg. His crying has subsided, but my husband has added over the counter sleep aids and seems to be losing his memory. would the drugs cause the memory lose?
posted on Fri, 9 Sep 2016
Twitter Fri, 7 Oct 2016 Answered on
Twitter Fri, 7 Oct 2016 Last reviewed on
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Dear Ma'am, Hi & Welcome.
I appreciate your concern for your beloved husband.
Yes these medications can cause memory loss.
Alprazolam is often associated with short-term memory loss for events that occur after taking the drug (anterograde amnesia)
As with many antidepressant and anti anxiety drugs, Escitalopram can also cause side effects such as insomnia, fatigue, short term memory loss, and loss of libido. It can also cause difficulty concentrating, which could also contribute to short term memory issues.
Hope this answers your query.
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Do Escitalopram And Alprazolam Cause Memory Loss?

Dear Ma am, Hi & Welcome. I appreciate your concern for your beloved husband. Yes these medications can cause memory loss. Alprazolam is often associated with short-term memory loss for events that occur after taking the drug (anterograde amnesia) As with many antidepressant and anti anxiety drugs, Escitalopram can also cause side effects such as insomnia, fatigue, short term memory loss, and loss of libido. It can also cause difficulty concentrating, which could also contribute to short term memory issues. Hope this answers your query.